1. Field of the Invention
Present invention relates to multilayered circuit assemblies, a terminal for connecting said assembly together and a method of making said assembly.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Flexible circuit and flat cables are well known in the art and have enjoyed a great deal of popularity owing to their ease of use and their ability to be employed in unusual space limitation situations. In the past, the main termination methods used of connecting flexible circuits and flat cables to other circuits has been soldering, mass bonding, crimping, pressure, and welding.
Typically, a flexible circuit generally includes a substrate having conductive means defining an electrical path of travel formed between a base layer made of insulation material and a cover layer made of insulation material. Each flexible circuit has an area that is defined as a connecting station whereat the conductive means of one flexible circuit can be electrically connected to a connecting station and, therefore, the conductive means of another flexible circuit.
A large number of flexible circuit elements of this type can be electrically connected to one another by forming a hole through the circuit elements and inserting an eyelet therethrough. When the eyelet is staked, a cold weld is intended to be formed between the eyelet and the conductive means of the layered flexible circuit elements.
Though the staking of cylindrical eyelets through holes in flexible circuit elements have proven to be satisfactory in some cases, problems have arisen with the consistency of the electrical connection. For example, it has been found that some of the connections formed in this manner become intermittent or do not form a good, reliable electrical connection with the respective conductive means of the different flexible circuit elements.